Category Archives: Art

It all started because of two things. One a little article I had read about using felt markers and alcohol to paint on tee shirts and two, I needed a new knitting bag. Well in reality, I didn’t think I needed a new one. The pink, blue, yellow, white and lime green striped one I found at the dollar store, the one with the blue handles was working fine. It was hubs who didn’t like it. Not because it was getting dirty but he just didn’t like it.

So I decided to make a new knitting bag. This one would even have a pocket on the front with a zipper for all the little stuff knitters like and a top that also zipped just so there would be fewer accidental spilling of contents on the car floor or wherever I might be knitting.

But first I decided to take a little detour to decorate a tee-shirt. Had trouble with the tiny ribs of the fabric creating hazards for my pen work so decided that I’d give it a try on some plain cotton. I ventured forth into the most creative fun I had in years. Decided that it would be the perfect thing for the zipper pocket on the front of my knitting bag. And experimenting away I ended up with eight pockets and a Christmas gift project to make for my three daughters, my daughter-in-law, two granddaughters, my sister and best friend.

I began with loose sketches.

chickadees

Fox

Giant Red Mushroom

Poppies

Elm Leaves

Geranium

Number eight was from a photograph of mine of a Hydrangea my daughter gave me. As I mentioned, my sketches are very informal, they are little more than little guide to what I hope to create.

Then I fearlessly jumped into paint with markers directly onto my fabrics. The actual work is of course done, but showing your the progress and results begins in my next post.

Until then keep creating, or reading, or listening to music, or painting. Just enjoy what you do,

On the way home from work yesterday I had a two-minute window of time where the setting winter sun dazzled my senses with breath-taking beauty. I grabbed three cell phone photos through the car windshield while Hubs drove. I am so fascinated by the ever-changing light of the sky, I have thousands of photos of sky.

I had to try to paint this scene, minus the streets, the signal lights, the power pole and lines and the buildings. I needed to recreate it as though it happened while the land was still wild and free. There is nothing better than tackling a huge challenge to gain skills.

I have continued to paint a couple of nights a week and now have about a dozen paintings completed. All are inspired by what I see that nature has provided. Or what I have imagined. The following is an in-progress painting. I didn’t take a finished photo of this painting. It is shown with the brushes and colors I used throughout the painting. Nothing fancy, the three colors from which all colors are created plus white and Payne’s Grey. My water-color brushes and an old sash brush to “pad” the painting or help to blend colors.

I tackled the glorious winter sunset with the same primary colors shown above. The only draw back to these colors is both the red and yellow a quite translucent. I have acquired an opaque yellow, which does not create clean colors but is helpful when the color needs to be vibrant and an opaque red which also does not create clean colors but works as a base layer if I want a brighter and cleaner shade. I also added a couple of acrylic brushes, but often like my water-color brushes better. It depends on the style I am working in.

The sky was done on Tuesday, re-worked a bit yesterday and the silhouettes added. The silhouettes took more work this evening and this is the finished product.

Winter Sunset

I must say that God’s work is better, but I am not too disappointed with my finished product. Painting is a great way to spend an evening.

Have you been working on anything new or creative? Please share your project with us.

Those of you who have been following this blog know I am a DIY enthusiast. My list of “can do” is long. It’s a passion, but not my fault. It’s genetic. Genes handed down from an inventor, a teacher of upholstery and cake decorating at college level, knitter, a quilter and a foundry pattern maker.

This time I am not talking about painting walls, or making wallpaper which involves paint, nor doing faux walls. I am talking about creating artwork.

Son, Paul*, is a partner in our business. His cubical at work is next to mine. He has been doing a lot of painting recently and is honing his craft. He told me he finds it very relaxing to go home and paint. He loves acrylic because it can be stopped and started at any time. He encouraged me to give it a try.

A trip to the local art store and five tubes of paint; red, blue, yellow, white and Payne’s Grey, plus the practice canvas boards Paul provided and I was set to begin. There was a scene I had passed several times at the end of summer when the fields are golden and some trees were beginning to show their soft colors before they fully color up. A dark sky with the sun peeking through added long shadows. I wanted to paint that but I did not want to get so tied down with details. It needed to be a free and relaxing creation.

Self imposed rules were to use only one 1″ brush borrowed from my watercolors. Do not wash the brush and be finished in 20 minutes. I did it in 30.

1″ Brush 30 MinutesFirst Acrylic Painting

There are now 8 paintings in my stack. I learn something new with each one. This weekend I see the obsessive detail beginning to creep in again. Detail is not relaxing. It is not necessary. Omitting some detail leaves the viewer room to imagine. I have discovered a love for landscape. That does seem to be when I relax and enjoy it the most.

*A word about Paul. At two years old his favorite TV show was not Sesame Street it was Bob Ross. His wife is an artist also. Paul teaches at his wife’s studio, Vine Gogh Artist Bar. You can view some of his work at the link.

Cheers to creating,

Shez

PS It is very scary to share the first painting. There are skills not yet developed. Hopefully you will see positive progress.